The New Diabetes Diet

In November of 2006 (just in time for American Diabetes Month), a report was released showing that going vegan may reduce diabetics' dependence on medication. In a Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) study of 99 people with type 2 diabetes, 43 percent of those who followed a low-fat vegan diet for five months were able to get by on a lower dose of their prescriptions -- or drop them altogether.

"The vegan diet appears to control weight, blood sugars, and cholesterol more effectively than a typical diabetes diet," says lead study author and PCRM President Neal D. Barnard, M.D. "It also requires no calorie counting, no portion limits, and no limits on carbohydrates. And because the diet is rich in high-fiber foods, it tends to be filling." Barnard encourages those with diabetes to try a low-fat vegan diet for three weeks. Visit pcrm.org for a how-to guide.